Brannon Nichols
For Business Manager / Financial Secretary
Hurricane Ian - Staging Yard.
Let’s move in a new direction
Cooper Landing - Pole Change Outs.
About Me
I was born and raised on the Kenai Peninsula. I was indentured into the AJEATT in 2001 and worked as a Journeyman Lineman, Foreman, and Shop Steward until 2018.
As Steward, I was involved in all facets of unionism, including company safety violations, improper terminations, unfair distribution of overtime, unfair disciplines, multiple contract negotiations, grievances, and arbitrations. I worked hard to improve dialogue and cooperation between the multiple shops, bargaining groups, contracts, and stewards within the company.
In 2013 and 2016, I volunteered in Haiti, building powerlines for several towns that had never had electricity. Both tours included not only building powerlines but also training locals to safely distribute their own power after we left. One of the best experiences I have had in linework was working for free.
I served as the Treasurer of the Kenai Peninsula Central Labor Council for several years. During that time, I was presented with the IBEW 1547 Volunteer of the Year Award.
In 2018, I was asked to take a Business Representative position at IBEW 1547. I worked at the Union Hall for just over three years. In that time, I represented and negotiated contracts for Outside Power Construction, City of Seward, MEA Outside, Construction Tree Trimmers, Naknek Electric Association, and EISA.
I also spent three years on the Alaska Safety Advisory Council.
In my spare time at the Hall, I helped out at the apprenticeship school and boot camp, and created a ‘financial and benefits’ class that I still give to the line classes when I am able to be in town while apprentices are in school.
While at the Hall I pushed employers to follow contracts. I forced compliance at the City of Seward, bringing OSHA in when they refused to honor the contract and the law.
While managing MEA Outside, I took management to arbitration and won many conditions after they refused to pay injured workers their benefits.
While managing the Tree Trimmers contract, I won a CIR decision for failure to pay night-shift wages and foreman pay. When asked for a Target letter reducing wages for work on MEA property, I didn’t sign the same agreement that had repeatedly been done before. I worked with the members who would be affected and crafted an agreement they voted on before we signed.
I spent many days and weekends in the Mat-Su following a non-union company performing illegal and unsafe work, ultimately forcing them off MEA property using both the State of Alaska and grievance procedures; even after receiving a cease and desist from the company’s lawyer. This made safer conditions for telecom employees and returned a large percentage of work to union line contractors.
In 2021, I returned to work as a Journeyman Lineman. Since then, I’ve been working in Alaska and the Lower 48; working on and running crews, gaining experience under many different contract conditions, safety programs, dispatch procedures, and benefit packages.
My daughter Tehya and son Brent.
My girlfriend Kasey and her son Braxton, along with our labradoodle Maizie.
Change Needs To Happen
I want to see more engagement between the Union Hall and our members. Many members have never seen or interacted with their Business Representative. That is a failure of representation.
Last election cycle, we were promised that our Business Reps would be engaging with us more often, that safety would be a priority, and that there would be more political transparency. None of this has changed.
We should expect more. The Local should be meeting with membership before they sign LOAs with Employers affecting your employment. They should be taking issues to CIR that are important, not just signing agreements without fighting for us. When major changes are happening to our Certificate of Fitness, they should inform members when there are public comment periods and let members have a voice. They should be posting job openings at the Hall for members, not hiring out-of-state non-IBEW people, or friends and family, as representatives and office staff.
Volunteer linework in Caracol, Haiti.
Transparency should be one of the highest goals we have as a member-ran organization. Member engagement is low and apathy is high. If elected as your Business Manager, I will make several changes to bring about more transparency and accountability.
Membership should be given the opportunity to remotely observe the monthly Executive Board meetings. As this is your organization and it is your money, shouldn’t you be able to see the decisions that are being made for you? Other Union organizations in Alaska currently allow this and encourage their members to show up.
Membership should also be given more direct access to their contract negotiations, like the ability to watch negotiations remotely via Zoom. The Hall has historically treated negotiations as an executive session secret. There should be nothing said by either your Union Representatives or your Employer that is a secret, and the Union should push to allow members to watch their contract negotiations. Other Unions in Alaska allow and encourage this, so it is not a new concept.
Reinsulating 34.5kv in Ketchikan 2024
I believe one of the biggest divides in our Union is politics. I think we could do much better at providing information to members on how and why we pick the candidates we choose to endorse.
Last Local election, leadership promised to create a political advisory committee of interested members from all viewpoints. This never happened and it is business as usual at the Hall. When you look at the endorsement tab on the IBEW 1547 website, there are rarely any candidates listed. Meanwhile, they ask at union meetings and online for you to attend labor walks for union candidates. There is zero accountability or transparency in the way it is currently handled.
I believe the cure for our divided membership is more engagement and dialogue. I feel that we currently hide from this by making contributions through the AFL-CIO and other newly made PACs instead of making our own endorsements.
Having meetings with members, to give them a chance to see the process and share their thoughts, would help move us past the current political divide. I would love to see the day when we openly endorse candidates and have the membership fully behind it.
The Navy “Blue Angels” practice above our job.
One of the main reasons Unions were created was safety. Last Local election, our leadership agreed that our safety programs were “antiquated”. In the three years since last election, nothing has changed. Our safety program still consists of reading safety meeting minutes that few bother to turn in by our represented employers. We can do better. Many other Locals have strong commitments to safety and enforcement when needed. Our Local needs to take a more serious stance on safety.
How many of you heard from the Hall about a tree trimmer fatality on one of our utility jobsites? What about a construction worker cutting into live high voltage cables in downtown Anchorage? Has the Hall shared with our members its report on the double fatality falling through the ice last spring? There are lessons to learn from all of these accidents and it is worth our time to investigate and get the information out to membership.
As Business Manager, I would enforce our contract and bylaw language that mandates all construction employers to provide their safety meeting minutes. I would also require members to follow our bylaws by providing statements for those involved in accidents. Both of these mandates are not currently being enforced.
Our Safety Committee should be investigating and reporting to membership on accidents. Business Representatives should be attending your safety meetings when allowed by employers and when time permits. They should be sharing this information in person, or at the minimum, sending it to the shop stewards to discuss at their weekly safety meetings.
Caribou on the St. Paul island right of way. 2025
The IBEW’s International Health and Benevolence Fund (IHBF), is a very well funded account. As Business Manager, I would push to change the fund to allow members to apply for benefits in some cases without a complete financial background check.
The Local is constantly sharing GoFundMe pages or other fundraisers for members in need, many of whom are unable to access our IHBF benefit. If we made a small amount available to members with a verifiable hardship, we could better serve our brothers and sisters in need.
Electrical Arc Safety Demonstration.
One of our Local’s biggest duties to membership is proper management of the retirement system. As Business Manager, I would push to make several common sense changes to the Alaska Electrical Trust Fund.
Roth savings plans have been around since 1997. According to Fidelity Financial, over 90% of employers that offer a retirement savings plan have a Roth option. Because we don’t have one, your after-tax contributions can’t grow tax-free, potentially costing your retirements 30% of its value. This is a huge disservice to membership, especially when employees at the Hall have this option and you do not.
Union coverage in other states offer an HRA. HRAs use pre-tax money funded by employers that you can use for medical expenses like prescriptions, COBRA, and even retiree medical deductibles.
The Local should be focused on being a good steward of your money. These plans are both extremely common and long overdue.
Hot sticking 24.9kv for insulator change outs.
How To Help
The biggest help that you can offer is to talk, text, or email your IBEW coworkers and friends. Last election cycle, the Local had a very small turnout. We have a small portion of members that actually vote in our Union elections, so every vote is vital to our success.
If you would like to see your Local run by someone who has spent their career working under our agreements, upholding contracts both in the field and as a shop steward, this is your chance.
If you are interested in helping out the campaign, I’d appreciate it. Meetings, mailers, flights, and venues all add up.
Volunteer work installing power in Sainte-Suzzane, Haiti.
Send a message:
First Year Linemen Class.